The work of N.V. Gogol in the most significant way influenced the literature of the XIX century. He had a rather peculiar vision of the world around him - fantastic, mystical, satirical, grotesque. The work “Notes of a Madman” shows life as if through a crooked mirror, which allows a completely different view of the processes taking place in the then society. Thanks to this, many manifestations in it are evaluated differently, which often elude people's attention.
The story “Notes of a Madman” is one of the most tragic works from the series “Petersburg Tales”. Here, almost all the heroes either go crazy or die in an unequal struggle with the conditions of brutal reality. Gogol's “Notes of a Madman” fills all this. The summary of this work, of course, does not give the full scope of the sensations. That is why you should definitely read the original text.
Gogol, Notes of a Madman. Summary
The main character of the work, 42-year-old Aksenty Ivanovich Poprishchin, works as a titular adviser in the St. Petersburg department. For four months now, he has been keeping his strange records. One rainy day, on Tuesday, October 3, 1833, he went to work in the hope of asking the treasurer for a salary in advance. The weather was nasty, it was raining. Suddenly Poprishchin saw that a carriage had stopped near the store he was passing by, from which the daughter of the director of the department Sophie fluttered out like a bird. He somehow wrapped himself up at once and was shy of his appearance, his overcoat was in his old style, and soiled with street dirt.
Doggy Medzhi
The dog almost managed to drop into the store for the mistress and remained on the street. Aksenty Ivanovich recognized this little dog, her name was Medzhi. At the same moment, more ladies passed by with a dog named Fidel, who began to sniff at Medzhi and spoke warmly to her about something. Poprishchin was surprised that he understood dog speech. But then he found his scientific explanation in this, because in the newspapers he had already read about such miracles, about talking fish and a cow.
He was more interested in the fact that Medzhi asked her friend about her letters. This fact intrigued the titular adviser very much, because he believed that only a nobleman could write, merchants and serfs could only add mechanically, without dots, commas and syllables. Then Axentius decided to go after this little dog and two ladies to find out where they live, and then find out from Fidel what Medzhi writes about his mistress. As it turned out, they all live in Zverkov’s house near the Kokushkin bridge.
Sophie
The next day, he came to the chief’s office early to fix all his feathers. And suddenly, face to face, he encounters his daughter. Sophie asked about her daddy and accidentally dropped her handkerchief. Poprishchin immediately picked it up and really could not utter a word. Then she quietly went out. Then a footman came and said that Aksenty Ivanovich should also go home, since the boss had already left.
At home, he lay on the bed almost all the time, writing poems like those of Pushkin. Then, in the evening, wrapping himself in his overcoat, he went to the chief’s porch to once again at least see his beautiful daughter. However, this did not happen.
Growing passion
Soon, everyone in the department noticed Poprischina’s great passion for the director’s daughter. And then the head of the department invited him to him and scolded him for indecent behavior. Aksenty Ivanovich decided that the chief simply envied him, because he was 42 years old, he was a nobleman and could rise to the rank of colonel.
Poprishchin dreamed of Sophie, he so wanted to look into the keyhole of her room and see how she had it and in what luxury she lived there. And then it lit up - he remembered the conversation of two dogs. Then he went to that address and decided to interrogate Fidel’s dog. And maybe he will be able to intercept the letters of Medzhi. And so it happened. He went into Zverkov’s house and went up to the floor. A girl with freckles opened the door for her, she was at a loss from what she saw, as Poprishchin immediately went to the basket and took the papers hidden in it. The dog tried to bite him, but everything was in vain.
In the evening he was already enjoying the correspondence. From there, he learns a lot about his director and about his daughter Sophie, for whom for some reason he began to look after the junk camera. Aksenty Ivanovich was immediately so upset that he tore all the papers to shreds.
The Spanish King and the infamous Inquisition
And here Gogol “Notes of a Madman” saturates Gogol with real tragedy. The summary begins to describe the main fateful event. One day, December 5, Poprishchin reads the news and learns about the abolition of the Spanish throne and that now the donna should ascend to the throne. Poprishchin thought that the king was gone, and began to look for him, and then completely decided that he was King of Spain Ferdinand VIII. He even sewed a mantle and began to wait for the Spanish deputies. Confused by his thoughts, he completely forgot about time and about work, which he had not been to for three weeks. Then he nevertheless came there, but when the chief came in, he did not even think to get up, and on the paper where the director of the department signs, he signed - Ferdinand VIII. Then he made his way to the director’s office, where Sophie was, and informed her that she would be happy with him, despite the intrigues of numerous enemies.
Soon, Aksenty Ivanovich Poprishchina was fired from work. And after a while it seemed to him that his royal retinue had come for him, however, these were orderlies from a madhouse. Then he convinced himself that he had fallen into the hands of the Inquisition, which was torturing him and was mocking him in every way. They shaved his head, hit him with a stick, and he was already shouting about his unwillingness to be king.
"Diary of a Madman". Analysis
When Nikolai Vasilievich arrived in St. Petersburg, he learned from his own experience about the plight of officials. The story “Notes of a Madman” was written by Gogol in this terrible and crazy city in which his hero, Aksenty Ivanovich Poprishchin, has no life. After all, he became both a creature and a victim of this world, like many others.
The story “Notes of a Madman” is filled with deep meaning. An analysis of it gives a complete picture of that time. Everything is confused and displaced, justice and reason are violated, where whole tragedies are played out. Gogol “Notes of the Madman” “decorates” all this. The summary of this work clearly indicates all aspects of social inequality and humiliation, a perversion of moral principles and rules, traumatic for the delicate and vulnerable psyche of Poprism.